The Knight's Tale
Folio 31v
40 of 54 folios
And spende it in hihe venus seruise
1630
Bot be þe cause þat þei scholde rise
Erly for to seen þe grete fighte
Vnto her reste went þei att nihte
And on þe morwe whan þe dai gan springe
Of hors & herneys noyse & clateringe
1635
There was in hostries al a boute
And to þe Paleys rode þer mony a route
Of lordes vpon stedes & palfreis
There maist þou seen diuiseinge of harneys
So vnkouþe & so riche & wrouhte so wele
1640
Of gold smyþerie of brondeinge & of stele
The Scheldes briht testeres & trappures
Gold hewen helmes hawberkes cote armures
Lordes in paramentes on hir courseres
Knyhtes of Retenu & eke swieres
1645
Naillinge þe speres & helmes bokelynge
Gideinge of scheldes wiþ layners lasinge
There as nede is were no þinge ydel
The fomy stedes on þe golden bridel
Gnawen & faste þe armureres also
1650
Wiþ file & hamur prikinge to & fro
Ȝomen on fote & comune mony one
Wiþ schort staues riht as þei mai gone
Pipes trompes nakers clarions
Þat in þe retaile blewe blodi sownes
1655
The Paleis ful of peple vp & doune
Here þre þer ten holdeinge her questioune
Deuyneinge of þis thebane knyhtes tuo
Som seide þus sum seide it schal be so
Some holden wiþ him wiþ þe blake berde
1660
Some wiþ þe balle sōm wiþ þe þikke herede
Some seide he loked grime & he wolde fihte
He haþ a sparþe of .xx. pounde of wihte
Thus was þe hal ful of diuineinge
Longe after þat þe sōne gan to springe
1665
The grete Theseus þat of his slepe awaked
Wiþ mynstralcye & noys þat was maked
Held ȝite þe Chambres of his palays riche
Til þat þe Thebanes knyhtes boþen yliche
Honorable weren in to þe Palays Fette
1670
Duc Theseus is att þe window sette